Review comments

This is my daughters first year at this school. We live in a district with great public schools of which my older kids attend. I share that to say that I have the experience to compare this school with public schools in the area. First off, the teachers and the principal are phenomenal! I have had my fair share of experiences with teachers and my daughters second grade teacher has been incredibly impressive. She has a genuine love for the kids she teaches and an authentic desire to see them succeed. Secondly, the education. My daughter has learned so much at this school this past year; I wish I could put into words. She has gained more confidence then I ever thought possible. Academically, she has progressed beyond my expectations. Lastly, the community. I am new to this area within the last couple of years. I have attended many different churches as well as my older kids school functions. The parents at this school are some of the friendliest I have met and it reflects in the behavior of their children. They are very welcoming and embrace new faces. It brings me an incredible amount of happiness to not hear stories from my daughter about kids being mean or picking on each other. I am not naïve and understand that this will happen at all schools. But to know that kind of behavior is more of an exception at this school, speaks volumes about this community of people. I felt compelled to comment on this school because I truly feel strongly about how wonderful it is! We consider ourselves lucky that we will continue to be a part of this school for the next six years!

CONS - Lack of technology! The school fails to use new technologies to teach, train, use and communicate.
Overall lack of clear direction and leadership.
Pros- Church had outstanding community but that too might be changing with changes in church direction and local leadership as of this posting date.
School fails to keep up with good local public schools.

I am a recent graduate from Holy Spirit and currently a freshman at Saint Thomas Aquinas. I am taking all honors classes and even exempted out of algebra 1 into honors geometry thanks to the amazing preparation I've had at Holy Spirit. The teachers were always involved and cared about how you had been doing in class. I could not have asked for a better grade school and I definitely recommend Holy Spirit to any new families. The community at HS is so welcoming and inviting and they make you feel like you're a part of a family. I have made lifelong friends throughout the nine years I had attended Holy Spirit- ever since kindergarten! Faith is incorporated into every thing we do- it is the cornerstone of our education. Our priest is one of the most amazing in the archdiocese. So if you want a school with amazing academics and most importantly a strong faith based community, Holy Spirit is just the place for you.

A grand total of 21 staff members and faculty have left this school in the last 5 years since this principal was hired. Several families have pulled their children and put them in public schools. The only good thing about this school are the teachers that have been there over 10 years, and there are only a handful left. This isn't sour grapes either, it is the truth.

My children go to school at Holy Spirit in Overland Park. I have read the reviews and I have to say that I have never had a problem with the Principal. In fact I haven t had an issue getting a hold of her. I am not in the "IN" crowd of parents that are reported on this site. I only care that my children do well and are treated well. That is what is happening. Both my daughter and son love their school and their friends they have made. Their teachers all work hard to help them be successful and learn the skills they will need to make it in the world. Reading these negative reviews bring to mind a bunch of sour grapes. I would be curious to know specifically what the principal has done to merit the attacks. Rather than ambiguity why not state exactly what happened? Then we can all judge if she was in the wrong. Any one looking for an excellent Catholic school you couldn t find one finer than Holy Spirit. I am not involved as I should be in the school activities as other parents are; but I am pleased with the education my children are receiving.

We love it here! What a wonderful community!!! Everyone with the school and church make you feel so welcome. Our children are doing wonderful at the is school. There is a true drive for excellence. They focus on academics and good behavior among the students. We couldn't be happier.

"Allthat is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing"...many good people have tried to do something, unfortunately, they are not being listened to. It is disturbing to see how an intruder can come into our community and completely change the landscape of the school. Even more disturbing that parents and staff don't feel heard by the priest.

Clearly a tough time at this school, and the children are the ones suffering. What is undeniable is that there are fantastic teachers leaving again this year - for the third or fourth year in a row. That's not a favoritism issue or a "parent" issue - that's a management issue, and it is directly tied back to the current administration. It's unfortunate that the joy, enthusiasm and dedication to a positive Christian and Catholic education is being drained from this school. The parents, the parish community and most of all the students deserve better.

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